Buy now on Beatport
Buy now on Beta Store
Bringing 2012 to a fitting finale, John B’s dancefloor dominance continues unabated with the emotion-drenched piece de resistance from his critically acclaimed album ‘Light Speed’.
Sparkling with his trademark pristine production and melodic mindset, this perky-but-poignant roller alone explains his LP scored Album of the Month and Album of the Week from Mixmag and The Independent respectively. A producer who’s never cared for fickle flavours, John’s baked his own slice of electronic music pie and you can taste the confidence and creativity in everything he does. This includes the A&R on his own label, Beta… As proved by the remixes he’s commissioned for this blistering release.
But first, the original… A filmic fusion of sonic sentiments; ‘Love Again’ boasts the ideal balance of elements. The delicate pianos counter softly with John’s cannon-like arrangement of Jillian’s alluring vocals as the powerful drum & bass engine revs and purrs underneath. It’s a picture perfect piece that appeals to the mind, body and dancefloor, and it comes in both original and edited forms.
Remix-wise John’s secured three refreshing takes, each of which drive the melodic masterpiece into a whole new playing field. Man of the moment Enei adds the raw, mechanical oomph he’s renowned, tipping a respectful nod to John’s formative repertoire with growling bass and spliced, chop-tickling drumwork. Meanwhile Swedish D&B powerhouse Seba applies his own technique and textures to create a spacious, spell-binding reversion that whooshes and whirrs with late night grace and floating bass.
And for those who enjoy a more pensive, dramatic approach, Tempa terror LX One adds a whole new halfstep stance. Dark, deep and deadly, it’s a slow and steady headnod to the FWD flavour of dubstep; subdued but solid, it’s a refreshing reminder of the subtle textures dubstep can carry when in the right hands.
Finally John completes the set with his own Till Sunrise remix. Keeping the pianos and vocals firmly in check, he adds a steppier rhythm and an immersive bassline that oozes an infectious, progressive electro charm. If anything’s going to keep you dancing till sun-up, it’s this.
From albums to accolades via action-packed singles, it’s been an incredible year for John B. ‘Love Again’ summarises his successes perfectly.